Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Bringing your older offset back to life.
User avatar
berlinbetty
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:57 am
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by berlinbetty » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:06 pm

  Well, she's here!  And first and foremost, I'd like to give a big shout out to the Guitar Center of Tempe, AZ for shipping a $1200 guitar without feeling that there was a need for anyone to sign for it!  When I came home this evening expecting to find a slip telling me to go to the warehouse to pick up my package, I instead found my vintage Jaguar sitting outside on my front stoop getting snowed on!  Granted, it was in a well-packed cardboard box, but I was still a little bummed to come home to just what I was afraid might happen.  Maybe a strongly worded letter to the Guitar Center is in order.
  Anyhoo, right out of the box, it's closer to sookwinder's cane toad burst than it appeared in the original picture.  I figured in real life it would be close to the faded 60's burst in the Dressing Room.  Nope, cane toad!  And if it's refinished that way, it's an old job because that finish looks every bit like it's forty years old!  VERY nice checking with a chip here and there, however, but I can live with that!  I wanted a relic and that's what I got!
  I also wanted a project and that's definitely what I got!  A vintage Jaguar, for less than the price of a brand new AVRI, you really don't get your hopes up.  The neck is straight and very close to the feel of my Mustang (as I was hoping it would be if you read the "Vintage Neck Comparison" thread)  so I'm happy there!
  Now for the bad news.  If you thought STOCK Jaguar wiring was complicated, you should see what Arizona's LAST boyfriend did to her!  I haven't cracked open the pickguard yet, but here's what I've found so far just from playing around with her.
  1.  On very first inspection, the bridge pickup did not work.  Bummer, but not the end of the world.
  2.  The volume and tone on the main circuit were scratchy, but worked.  The tone may even need a new resistor as it didn't have a very even sweep.
  3.  Whether the rhythm switch (which was replaced with a toggle switch) is up or down, the volume and tone on the main circuit control the neck pickup along with the volume on the rhythm side.  They all work, all the time.
  4.  This is where I had some good news, but still weird.  When adjusting the rhythm tone control, I realised that it was a volume control for the bridge pickup!  The bridge pickup DOES work as long as the rhythm tone control is up!  It took me five minutes of monkeying around with her to get just the right combination to figure this out.
  5.  I have a suspicion the pickups are AVRI.  They appear to be beveled and are not staggered.  Am I correct that by 66 or 67 the poles would be staggered?
  6.  The picture that was on the Guitar Center website shows a trem arm hanging.  There was no trem arm that I could find in the case OR the box it shipped in.  I'm definitely going to have to call Tempe!

  This is just the initial post upon receiving and checking out Arizona.  Pics and more info to follow.  And, hence forth, cane toad burst will now be known as "desert burst"!!!

Image
B&B Jaguar with Jazzmaster pickguard at GC $1,200
Last edited by berlinbetty on Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
One more guitar, then I'll practice!

User avatar
bubbles_horwitz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 383
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:07 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Raising Arizona

Post by bubbles_horwitz » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:08 pm

mid-60s pickups should be staggered and dated on the bottom.

User avatar
RumorsOFsurF
Mods
Mods
Posts: 17598
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:55 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Raising Arizona

Post by RumorsOFsurF » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:10 pm

Sounds pretty cool!  I actually kind of like it the way it is...

You really should harass GC about the trem arm, and crummy shipping practices. 
Damn kids, get off my lawn!

User avatar
berlinbetty
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:57 am
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Re: Raising Arizona

Post by berlinbetty » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:13 pm

  Holy cow, you guys are quick.  I just came in right after posting this to do some editing and it already had two responses!  Nolan, you really are here WAY too much!! ;D
One more guitar, then I'll practice!

User avatar
OffYourFace
Mods
Mods
Posts: 13681
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 2:59 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Raising Arizona

Post by OffYourFace » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:14 pm

The tone may even need a new resistor as it didn't have a very even sweep.
That's usually more of a pot issue than the cap.  For some reason they used linear pots for the Jaguar lead ckt. tone control.  Get an Audio pot and it'll give you the sweep you want.  (Jazzmaster's have an Audio tone pot)
I hope you get your whammy bar!

User avatar
berlinbetty
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:57 am
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by berlinbetty » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:15 pm

  Okay, some pics from the initial tear-down...

ImageImage

  When I called the guitar center, I asked if it came with a case.  They said they weren't sure, but if it didn't they'd dig one up for me.  If this isn't the original case, it's a pretty good match considering the condition...

Image

  This was just a general picture I took of the whole guitar, but it's the best shot I could get of the headstock without a glare.

Image

  Here's a shot underneath the pickguard...showing her tan lines.  It's definitely the original finish, just faded in an odd way.  While I was waiting on it to arrive, I tried to make up a version of it in the Dressing Room and, based on the original GC picture I used the faded 60's burst, but in real life, it almost looks like Antigua!

ImageImage

  Here's why I think the pickups are AVRI.  If it wasn't for the beveled poles, I'd be worried that they were Japanese!  The pup covers look original, too.  Also, a shot of the bridge and you can see that the mute slug and spring are intact.  That was a pleasant surprise...

ImageImage

  The volume pot is a 500k and definitely a replacement.  The tone pot looks original.  Not sure about the jack...  I was surprised that the control route is just big enough for the pots to fit in and not much more!  And more tan lines!!!

ImageImageImage

  The trem cavity.  I've included pics of the top and bottom of the trem arm bushing.  Is that what it's supposed to look like?  I know what the AVRI bushing looks like and this is nothing like that...

ImageImage

  The neck is dated '66, but according to the Guitar Nucleus website, the serial # on the neck plate puts it somewhere in '67 so I'm going with that.  When I tuned up the guitar (it came detuned) to check the playability, I noticed how new the frets looked!  I figured it must've just had a refret!  When I took the neck off I found a decal with, what I assume would be, the tech's name!

Image

  There was no trem arm in the case, but there WAS one of these things.  Anyone know what it is?

Image

  Arizona topless!  When I first bought my Jazzmaster, I also bought Jag plates that I was going to stick on it.  But when I found out I'd need a new rhythm control bracket (smaller than the JM's) and the wiring on the JM pots wouldn't reach the holes for the Jag plate (this was before I learned soldering) I scrapped the idea.  So the plates have been rattling around in my parts drawer for over a year and now they look the part!  The only bummer here is that the one piece pickguard that was on it was bigger than the plates, so there are "unfaded areas" sticking out from underneath.

  I'm going to figure on keeping the pickups I have now and see what comes up in the future.  I am anxious to hear the bridge pickup NOT filtered through a 50k mini-pot!
Last edited by berlinbetty on Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
One more guitar, then I'll practice!

User avatar
OffYourFace
Mods
Mods
Posts: 13681
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 2:59 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by OffYourFace » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:33 pm

Cool!  That's gonna be an awesome project  :)  I'll race you!

I think the pickups are Duncans... Is that cloth wiring or vinyl/plastic?  If the latter, I'd say Duncans.  Not Antiquities, but maybe the HOT model...

glimmertwin
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3371
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:21 am
Location: Austin, TX

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by glimmertwin » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:35 pm

How in the hell would it have faded that much?  It must have lived by a big window that caught sun all day - for years. 
"I enjoy the current state of offsetguitars hostility."

User avatar
berlinbetty
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:57 am
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by berlinbetty » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:40 pm

OffYourFace wrote: Cool!  That's gonna be an awesome project  :)  I'll race you!

I think the pickups are Duncans... Is that cloth wiring or vinyl/plastic?  If the latter, I'd say Duncans.  Not Antiquities, but maybe the HOT model...
  It's not cloth wiring.  I didn't even think of that.  There weren't any identifying marks on them, so it's hard to tell what they are...

  And I don't know how much of a race it's going to be.  All I need is a switch plate, pickguard and a volume pot and I'm considering it done.  I'll start off with repros and then add vintage as it comes along...
Last edited by berlinbetty on Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
One more guitar, then I'll practice!

User avatar
Offshat
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 244
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:14 pm

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by Offshat » Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:36 pm

does the back look the same?whats with the collet,is it backwards?

User avatar
berlinbetty
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:57 am
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by berlinbetty » Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:30 am

  The back is pretty much the same as the front.  I thought maybe the collet was in upside down but their aren't any teeth on it!

  Thanks to almost choking in my sleep, I woke up at five thirty this morning.  I tried for about five minutes to get back to sleep but I was wide awake!  So I started cleaning up the wiring before I got ready for work.  The guy that messed up Arizona sure was thorough.  He (I'm assuming it was a he) would loop the wires through the terminals, twist it around itself and then solder it!  So I was basically un-soldering and un-tying at the same time, using my iron as a spear to try to get through the knots!  On one connection he had two wires going into the same terminal and tied around each other.  I don't know how long I spent on that one, but I finally just ended up cutting them.
One more guitar, then I'll practice!

User avatar
fuzzking
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 10319
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:06 am
Contact:

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by fuzzking » Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:44 am

looks like a pretty good deal... and a great project!
Nobody exists on purpose.

User avatar
the older brother
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 10693
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:12 pm
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden.
Contact:

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by the older brother » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:32 am

FUZZ_KING wrote: looks like a pretty good deal... and a great project!
I second that.

The fading looks cool IMO.

Just realized how much good forum-reading there will be in the near future (= less done at work  :P ) - thinking of all the great projects ongoing!
Someone knows where I can find the nearest woodchipper to throw my pieces of junk into?

User avatar
berlinbetty
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:57 am
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by berlinbetty » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:53 am

  A couple reasons why I liked sookwinder's jag and jumped on this one when I saw it...

Image
Image

  I always liked that finish on Gibsons and thought it was a cool look for a Jag!  I thought I was going to be alone on that, but it's nice to see the support!
:)
One more guitar, then I'll practice!

User avatar
fullerplast
Mods
Mods
Posts: 12710
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:53 am
Location: In My Room

Re: Raising Arizona - 1967 Jaguar content

Post by fullerplast » Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:25 am

Great project and good deal!

That case would be correct for a '67... logo with no tail (and the logo is almost always broken).

I was surprised to see the red under the guard, as I assumed it was a toad refin! It's still odd though, that there's little black under the guard at the bottom of the body. The red apparentyl went all the way to that thin black edge. I never heard of black disappearing, but red... yeah.

The plan to put it back right with RI parts and then take your time and look for good deals is a good one. Thanks for the good pics. This will be interesting to follow!
Q. Are we not men?

Post Reply